Kathleen Krüger is poised to fill the vacant executive board position at HSV. The former Bundesliga player has already made a significant impact at FC Bayern.
Kathleen Krüger understands the challenges ahead. A prominent club, high expectations, and passionate fans are elements she experienced for years at FC Bayern, and which she will likely encounter soon at Hamburger SV. However, a more prestigious role awaits Krüger in the shadow of Volksparkstadion; as the executive board member for sports, she is set to succeed Stefan Kuntz, who departed noisily in December.
Various media outlets reported on the impending appointment on Wednesday. The surprising contract signing by the 40-year-old is reportedly a mere formality, despite the club’s initial reticence. Krüger currently serves as the Head of Organization and Infrastructure at the German record champions. However, she made her name as a long-time team manager.
«She’s the one who holds the team together,» Thomas Müller once said of Krüger, who won the treble with Bayern in 2020. Whether in internal WhatsApp groups or in private conversations, Krüger was always close to the players. Former coach Pep Guardiola also frequently praised the organizational talent of the Bavarian native, even indirectly offering her a position at Manchester City later on.
Krüger gratefully declined, and now appears to be drawn to the Hanseatic city. After the «Kuntz earthquake» at the end of last year, HSV took its time filling the former national player’s position; even a headhunter agency was engaged. Claus Costa has since been acting in a dual role and has proven himself, but will step back into a supporting role in the summer. He is expected to refocus exclusively on his duties as Sporting Director.
Uli Hoeneß Helped Krüger into an Executive Role at FC Bayern
Krüger, on the other hand, will form the board together with Eric Huwer, marking her next significant career step. Her football career began as a player. She played for five years with the Bayern women’s team, among others, before starting her executive career in 2009 on the initiative of Uli Hoeneß as an assistant to Sporting Director Christian Nerlinger. «Working hard for something we love is called passion,» she writes on her LinkedIn profile. And with this passion, she aims to help HSV further establish itself in the league.
In this regard, Krüger is only partially a pioneer. Katja Kraus made it into a high executive position at HSV as the first female executive board member in the Bundesliga from 2003 to 2011, but in a marketing role. Krüger’s impending appointment is undoubtedly another signal for the long-overdue strengthening of women’s positions in the male-dominated domain of men’s football.
Recently, Marie-Louise Eta made a notable debut at Union Berlin as the first female coach in one of Europe’s top leagues, and Tatjana Haenni has served as CEO at RB Leipzig since January. More women in leadership positions could follow in the coming years, partly thanks to Kathleen Krüger’s immense ambition.